How Does Pokémon Card Grading Work? PSA vs BGS Explained

A single Pokémon card can be worth $50 raw or $5,000 graded — and the difference often comes down to four criteria most collectors have never learned to actually evaluate.

Grading turns subjective "condition" into an objective, third-party-verified number that the entire secondary market trusts. Here's exactly how the process works, what graders are looking for, and how to prep your own cards before submitting them.

The Four Core Grading Criteria

Every major grading company — PSA, BGS, CGC — evaluates cards against the same four fundamental factors, even if they weight or present them differently:

• Centering — how evenly the image is positioned within the card's border on all four sides
• Corners — sharpness of all four corners, checked for whitening, rounding, or fraying
• Edges — condition of the card's outer edges, checked for chipping or whitening
• Surface — scratches, print lines, indentations, or holo scuffing across the card face

PSA combines these into a single overall grade from 1 to 10. BGS grades each factor individually on a half-point scale, then computes an overall grade weighted toward your lowest subgrade — meaning one weak subgrade (say, a 7 on centering) can hold back an otherwise pristine card from reaching a 9 or 10 overall.

The Submission and Grading Process

Grading starts with submission — you select a service tier (economy, regular, express, or super-express) based on how fast you need results and how much you're willing to pay per card. Cards are shipped to the grading company, where they're first authenticated to rule out counterfeits, then physically examined under magnification and controlled lighting by trained graders. Once a grade is assigned, the card is sealed in a tamper-evident plastic holder with a label displaying the grade, card details, and a unique certification number that buyers can verify online.

Turnaround time is the biggest practical tradeoff: economy tiers can take several months, while express and super-express tiers cost significantly more per card but return results in days to a couple weeks. During high-volume periods — often following a hot new set release — even paid express tiers can see extended delays as grading companies get flooded with submissions.

What Actually Hurts a Card's Grade Most

Centering issues are the single most common reason a card misses a perfect 10, since even factory print runs frequently have minor centering drift that's invisible to the naked eye but measurable under a grader's tools. Surface issues — including scratches from careless handling or print-related factory defects — are the second most common downgrade. Corner and edge wear tend to be the most avoidable factors, since they're almost entirely a function of post-purchase handling and storage rather than manufacturing.

How to Prep a Card Before Submitting It for Grading

Proper handling before submission can be the difference between a 9 and a 10. Always handle raw cards by the edges only — fingerprints on the surface can leave oils that affect the surface grade under magnification. Store the card in a soft penny sleeve, then a rigid top-loader, before shipping to any grading company. Never use tape, rubber bands, or paper clips near a card you intend to submit, and avoid stacking cards directly against each other without protective sleeves, since edge-to-edge contact is a common cause of avoidable edge wear.

Frequently Asked Questions

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Sources: CardGrade.io, Cardrake